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The differences between security systems administrators and systems administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a security systems administrator and a systems administrator. Additionally, a security systems administrator has an average salary of $79,008, which is higher than the $77,156 average annual salary of a systems administrator.
The top three skills for a security systems administrator include security systems, troubleshoot and linux. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Security Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $79,008 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $37.98 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 173,690 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Security Systems Administrators are responsible for managing the security systems operations of an organization. Their duties include conducting penetration and vulnerability tests, establishing policies for network security, implementing protocols for disaster recovery, configuring security tools, carry out security audits, and monitor network traffic. Security Systems Administrators also advise executives on best practices and assist staff training programs in security procedures and awareness. They work on protecting the network against unauthorized access, destruction, or modification.
Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.
Security systems administrators and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $79,008 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $103,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Raven Software | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a security systems administrator and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Security Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between security systems administrators' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Security Systems Administrator | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |